Habib Siddiqui

  Biden’s ‘fumbling’ doctrine By Habib Siddiqui Former U.S. Defense Secretary Bob Gates  wrote  in his memoir,  Duty , that Joe Biden has been “wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.” For progressives, “ Biden appears to be a man of the past: an unapologetic champion of American exceptionalism ,”  Foreign Policy   reported  in June 2020.  Many insiders who had worked closely with Mr. Biden would beg to differ on such assertions. When Biden took office as the US president, he was confronted with a variety of global crises and a deeply divided country left behind by his predecessor. On January 20, 2021, on his first day in office, President Biden signed the instrument to bring the United States back into the Paris Agreement. Per the terms of the Agreement, the United States officially becomes a Party again . Climate change and science diplomacy will never again be “add-ons” in US ...

  The Myanmar military, which seized power in a coup two years ago, has been invited to take part in a regional military meeting co-chaired by Thailand and the United States. The five-day ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus)  Experts’ Working Group on Maritime Security is due to start on February 20 and will also include “table top” exercises. KEEP READING list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Myanmar military announces strict new election law ahead of polls list 2 of 4 Myanmar women target of online abuse by pro-military social media list 3 of 4 Opium cultivation surges since Myanmar military seized power: UN list 4 of 4 China, India firms dropped by Norway fund over Myanmar weapons end of list Myanmar Now, an independent online publication focusing on Myanmar which reported the invitation on Monday, said it had received leaked documents showing the theoretical drills were designed to address search and rescue, piracy, and the smuggling of drugs, weapons and people. Lieute...

  The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:   1 February marks two years since the Myanmar military overturned and arbitrarily detained members of the democratically elected civilian Government, including President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.  The Secretary-General continues to stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and to support their democratic aspirations for an inclusive, peaceful and just society and the protection of all communities, including the Rohingya.  He strongly condemns all forms of violence as the multidimensional crisis continues to deteriorate and fuel serious regional implications. The Secretary-General welcomes the 21 December 2022 adoption of Security Council resolution 2669 (2022) as an important step and underlines the urgency for strengthened international unity.  As called for by the Security Council, the Secretar...

During their important meetings this week, the U.S. secretary of state, in Jerusalem, and the Hashemite king, in Washington, will share their concerns over Israel's new government. When U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken begins his visit to Jerusalem on Monday, Jordan’s King Abdullah II will be in Washington meeting with members of Congress. To read more, click here:  Blinken and King Abdullah II Share a Headache: Israel - Israel News - Haaretz.com

  By Tim Stokes & Catherine Murray BBC News While many people will tell you about music which moves them, for Ismael Lea South it fundamentally changed his way of life. Born in Willesden, north-west London, in May 1973, the youth work consultant was introduced to hip-hop music from a young age while studying at South Kilburn High School. "Our school had a large African and Afro-Caribbean heritage. We used to listen to people like Big Daddy Kane, A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy, Eric B & Rakim," he tells  BBC Radio 4's Sunday programme . IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Eric B & Rakim released their first record in 1986 While he admits initially he would simply be "nodding your head to the beat", Ismael soon began noticing more about what his favourite artists were saying. "This was a time when a lot of the rappers were using Arabic phrases, and they weren't necessarily Muslims, so they would say things like 'Inshallah' [m...